We are delighted to say that yesterday we found out that we’re through to the final of the Bio Stars accelerator programme.

It’s been a fantastic experience so far and has really shone a light on all of the fantastic things happening in healthcare and Pharma in the UK and Europe.

The final is taking place on Tuesday evening at Oxford University where our founder, Natalie, will be giving a 3 minute pitch to hopefully win some funding for Proximity. This funding will be used to accelerate our growth and get our products to those who need them most. It will also start us on our venture to developing our next product! Very exciting.

Proximity was originally designed to keep those living with dementia safer from wandering. As my mum’s a carer for those with dementia i’ve always been aware of what a problem it is within this area. It wasn’t until we launched our crowdfunding campaign recently that i realised just how many people could benefit from a product like Proximity.

In the second week of our campaign a customer emailed me to say that he had bought the Proximity Button for his son. His son has autism. This really got me thinking, perhaps Proximity could actually be used by a lot of other vulnerable people in our society.

It’s stylish and small design means that it can be worn by absolutely anyone and the app has been carefully designed to suit all ages too.

Having researched it in more detail, it’s very apparent what a serious issue wandering is for autistic children. In fact, 48% of children with autism will attempt to leave a safe environment. Wandering by children with autism is common, dangerous and puts tremendous stress on families. If Proximity could help it would be fantastic.

We have now began to reach out to various autism awareness groups to get opinions on Proximity and hopefully get it out to those who need it most.

Wrong. Dementia is actually caused by diseases just like cancer or aids. Alzheimer’s disease is the biggest cause of dementia, it physically attacks your brain, gradually destroying it, piece by piece, until it strips away everything that makes you, you.

The brain of a person with Alzheimer’s is so damaged, it weighs 140 grams less than a healthy brain. Whilst scary, we know that research has beaten diseases in the past, and with our help, research can help beat dementia.

Until we find a cure to stop disease’s like Alzheimer’s, we need to find solutions in order to offer a better quality of life. And that’s exactly what i’m trying to do with my new start-up, Proximity.

Proximity aims to provide solutions to problems that truly exist, starting with the ever prevalent problem of wandering: one of the biggest worries a carer will face when looking after a loved one with dementia. More than 60% of people with dementia will wander and if they’re not found within 24 hours up to half of individuals can end up seriously injured and in some instances have a fatal accident (Alzheimer’s Association, 2016).

I believe that everyone should be able to protect the people they care about the most. We approached the product and user experience of Proximity with the following principles in mind: simplicity, discretion and affordability.

Proximity is a smart Button sensor worn by the person with dementia. Connected to the carer’s iPhone or Android device, Proximity alerts the carer when the Button wearer wanders too far.

The Button is not a tracking device, and therefore doesn’t rely on expensive technology. The sole aim with the Button is to warn carer’s to wandering. If a loved one is wearing the Button and they leave the carer’s side, they will know about it far quicker than if they weren’t wearing it. Simple.

For the past 2 years I’ve been developing a product that I hope will keep those living with dementia safer.

My mum’s cared for people with dementia for the past 15 years. It’s her experiences and stories that inspired me to create a simple, affordable product to help with the problem of wandering: a dangerous and common side effect of the disease.

The Proximity Button (pictured above) is a small magnetic badge that is worn by a loved one. Connected to the carer’s iPhone or Android device, Proximity alerts them when the person with dementia wearing the Button wanders too far. The carer can instantly receive and react to the alerts wherever they are. Proximity is the simplest way to keep loved ones out of harms way.

I believe that everyone should have the ability to protect the people they care about the most. We approached the product and user experience of Proximity with the following principles in mind: simplicity, discretion and affordability. The Button is not a tracking device and therefore doesn’t rely on expensive technology. Our sole aim with the Button is to warn carer’s to wandering. If a loved one is wearing the Button and they leave the carer’s side, they will know about it far quicker than if they weren’t wearing it. Simple.

On 6th June my crowdfunding campaign is going live on Indiegogo. I’m trying to raise £14,000 to be able to manufacture Proximity. Fingers crossed it will rally support and I can get my product to those who need it.

Please share this post and also visit our website – from here you can enter your email address and be the first to know when we launch!

There are many side affects associated with dementia, two of which are memory loss and wandering. When combined these can have a devastating consequences.

There are now more than 44 million people living with dementia worldwide. We know that more than 60% of these people will wander (BBC, 2014), and if a not found within 24 hours, up to half could suffer serious injury and in some instances could die. This is an alarming statistic for something that can be easily avoided.

Over a quarter of UK hospital beds are occupied by someone with dementia. An estimated £700 million could be saved annually if the duration of hospital stays were reduced. Wandering is likely to cause injury to the sufferer and in turn result in hospital admittance. Therefore a product like, the Proximity Button would not only make the lives of those caring for people with dementia more manageable but it would save the UK economy millions.

It’s very important that we let those living with dementia carry on their lives normally and remain as active as possible. Therefore, products to aid walking and combat wandering are a vital part of dementia care.

Early onset Alzheimer’s and dementia affects people younger than the age of 65. Although much more rare, it now affects as many as 40,000 younger people in the UK.

The two most common forms of dementia in younger people are Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Around one-third of younger people with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease. Some people will have a history of young-onset Alzheimer’s in their family. Around 20% of younger people with dementia have vascular dementia.

A diagnosis of dementia is devastating at any age but a diagnosis at a young age can be truly terrifying for the person and their loved ones. This is primarily due to the stage people will be at in their lives and what is going on around them. For example, younger people with dementia are more likely to still be at work themselves, have a partner who is still working, have dependent children, have ageing parents who they need to care for and have heavy financial commitments such as a mortgage.

There is very little understanding of the needs of people who develop dementia at an early age and this can make it very difficult for younger people to access adequate support. A service set up for people of a different generation is highly unlikely to meet the needs of younger people and so; these people often require specialist services.

The number of specialist services is growing and there is increasingly more help out there.

The Alzheimer’s Society can put younger people with dementia, their families or carers in contact with others in their local areas, or in similar circumstances. They also host an online discussion group called Talking Point, which has a dedicated group for younger people. To join the discussion, go to http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/

Vascular dementia occurs when there are problems in the blood supply to the brain. It is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s disease.

People who have vascular dementia will usually have suffered a series of small strokes; often so small they’re hardly noticeable.

Whilst Alzheimer’s disease progresses quite slowly, vascular dementia advances much faster. Someone with the condition often declines suddenly as the person has a new stroke. The gaps between strokes vary from weeks to months or even longer.

Symptoms of vascular dementia are not too dissimilar to Alzheimer’s disease. At first, people may have difficulty thinking clearly, planning and/or remembering. However, symptoms vary widely due to the nature of the disease – depending on which part of the brain was affected by the stroke.

Vascular dementia is most common in those aged 65-75 years old and is rare to see in younger people. You have a higher risk of developing vascular dementia if you have:

Diabetes

Heart disease

High blood pressure/cholesterol

Or if you’ve already had a stroke

If you are caring for someone with vascular dementia, or in fact any type of dementia, it’s important that the person stays active and continues to do the things they enjoy. To find out more about dementia care visit www.alzheimers.org.uk

Dementia can be a scary word, especially when you don’t know exactly what it is.

Put simply, the word dementia describes a set of symptoms that can include memory loss and difficulties with thinking, problem solving or language. Dementia is caused when certain diseases damage our brains. The most common, and probably the one you have heard of is, Alzheimer’s disease.

There is often confusion about the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia. It is Alzheimer’s disease that has damaged the brain and resulted in the symptoms known as dementia. Currently, Alzheimer’s affects more than 520,000 people in the UK.

Early onset Alzheimer’s and dementia effects people younger than the age of 65. Although much more rare, it now effects as many as 40,000 younger people in the UK.

The two most common forms of dementia in younger people are Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.

Around one-third of younger people with dementia have Alzheimer’s disease. Some people will have a history of young-onset Alzheimer’s in their family. Around 20% of younger people with dementia have vascular dementia.

There is very little understanding of the needs of people who develop dementia at an early age and this can make it very difficult for younger people to access adequate support. A service set up for people of a different generation is highly unlikely to meet the needs of younger people and so; these people often require specialist services.

The number of specialist services is growing and there is increasingly more help out there.

The Alzheimer’s Society can put younger people with dementia, their families or carers in contact with others in their local areas, or in similar circumstances. They also host an online discussion group called Talking Point, which has a dedicated group for younger people. To join the discussion, go to http://forum.alzheimers.org.uk/